Yankees Name Aroldis Chapman as Closer

NEW YORK – Heading into the 2016 season, Joe Girardi announced that Aroldis Chapman will be the closer ahead of Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller. Betances and Miller will presumably slide into the seventh or eighth inning set-up-man role. This move does not come as a surprise as the Yankees traded 4 prospects to sign Chapman, who has been the Cincinnati Reds’ closer for the entirety of his career. The Yankees now boast the best bullpen in the MLB. Last year there were three relief pitchers who had more than 100 strikeouts: Betances, Miller, and Chapman.

What to Expect?

The Yankees will have the best bullpen in the MLB this year. Aside from the Big 3 at the backend of the Bullpen, the Yankees have talent in Bryan Mitchell and Chasen Shreve who can shut down an opposing team during the 6th inning. The Yankees boast a strong core of young and talented relievers in their farm system. Domingo Acevedo, Jacob Lindgren, and Branden Pinder may see some action in the bullpen.

The answer is yes and no. I think that the strategy should be different for each team the Yankees play against. I do support Chapman as the closer but I am not ready to commit on the setup man position. I think that the approach for the seventh and eighth inning should vary based upon the opposing team’s lineup. A setup that works against one team might not work against the next. Girardi must be flexible and allow his big three to go more than an inning if need be. What I love about this is that if the yankees are winning after 6 innings, the game is over.

The Yankees have the best and deepest bullpen in the MLB.

Check back tomorrow for an in depth analysis on the Yankees offseason and pre-spring training report.a